Heaven's Miracle
by Tracy Diane Miller
Summary: The birth of Gary's son reaffirms the family's belief in miracles.


Heaven's Miracle  
  
Summary: A "missing" scene to "Destiny Fulfilled".  
  
Disclaimer: "Homefront" and "Early Edition" characters belong to their creators. All other characters are my own. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.  
  
Author's Notes: This story is part of the continuing series that began with "Mirror Image." "Mirror Image" was an Early Edition/Homefront crossover story where Gary was inexplicably transported to 1946 River Run, Ohio and met and bonded with his mirror image, aspiring baseball player, Jeff Metcalf. "To Love & New Beginnings" is the sequel to "Mirror Image." In "To Love & New Beginnings", a broken-hearted Gary, now back in his own time period, meets and falls in love with Jennifer Szabo Metcalf, the spunky actress and granddaughter of Jeff Metcalf. And in "Destiny Fulfilled", the newlyweds, Jennifer and Gary, await the birth of their first child and confront enemies from the past and present.  
  
Anyone interested in reading my continuing series can find them at Phoenix Arises: The Fan Fiction Store at the web site address that appears below:  
  
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jennifermetcalf214  
  
Author: Tracy Diane Miller E-mail address: tdmiller82@hotmail.com  
  
Heaven's Miracle  
  
Even an alias wasn't enough to keep her identity a secret from them. She couldn't hide from them. Not really. You can never hide from the paparazzi. They're like hungry bloodhounds bred to pick up the faintest scent. And once their seasoned nostrils uncovered the aroma of a celebrity trying to elude them, they were hot on the trail.  
  
Jenny Fishman was no ordinary pregnant housewife in her last trimester who had fallen down a flight of stairs and had been rushed to Columbia General Hospital. Some nurses, fans of "When Lovers Meet In Chicago", had been engaged in whispered conversations in the hallway about the gorgeous baby boy recently delivered by C-section. They couldn't believe their luck when the young mother turned out to be Jennifer Metcalf. Maybe they could find a way to bring in her dinner, or medication, something, any excuse to get into her room for an autograph. And that sexy Adam Torrance had to show up soon to see "his son". That bar owner was cute, sure, but was he really that baby's father? Reality and fantasy had blurred in these young fans' eyes helped along by tabloid gossip. That was the thing about gossip; it could shepherd a willing and malleable flock of devoted disciples easily influenced by its tainted message. Gossip was like the "forbidden fruit", easily within reach, juicy, and tempting. It was free for the taking. Yet, it had its own consequences that were readily ignored.  
  
Soon, the news that a television star was a patient spread through the hospital like wildfire. And just like the smallest flame that rushes through infancy to mature into a conflagration, this news had quickly ignited the attention of the media. A short while later, the insidious vultures converged upon the hospital in droves, poised with their tape cassette recorders, paper, and pens ready to "break" the story. Hospital personnel seemed ill-equipped to handle the journalistic mob and even an admonishment from the hospital's Chief of Staff informing the press that their appearance interfered with the well-being of all the patients wasn't enough to deter them. Finally, it wasn't the doctors that ended the frenzy, but a lawyer.  
  
As soon as Jeffrey, Jr. got wind of the chaos, he sprang into action. Addressing the maddening crowd, he eloquently but forcefully commanded them to leave the premises. The words "restraining order" skillfully insinuated itself into his speech. One reporter challenged the lawyer's threat by reminding him that the press was protected by the First Amendment. If the use of the constitutional armor was meant to intimidate Jeffrey, Jr., it had the opposite effect. Jeffrey, Jr. hadn't inherited his father's charm, but his passion for the law was as strong as Jeff's passion for baseball had been and both Metcalf men were experts in their craft. Jeffrey, Jr. smiled and countered by saying that even if the reporters' right to assemble on hospital grounds in pursuit of a story was protected activity under the First Amendment, that right had to bow to considerations of the public welfare. A hospital wasn't a circus and there was no judge who would condone the "three ring atmosphere" that the reporters were seeking. Of course, Jeffrey, Jr. added that they should feel free to find a judge who would jeopardize the well-being of defenseless patients for the sake of a news story.  
  
Jeffrey, Jr. had discovered a long time ago that the practice of law was nothing more than a very high stakes, intellectual "poker game" and that the court room was the arena where the most skillful players pursued the game with a vengeance. It was a dance of dominance, a waltz of wits, where the lawyer who best understood jury psychology could win the case even when his or her evidence was full of holes. The trick was to never let the jury know that one's case was weak. A persuasive opening and closing argument, flawless direct and cross-examination, along with forceful and well-timed objections that shot down an opponent's witnesses as if they were a school of bothersome ducks swimming around in an arcade shooting gallery, were the key. A successful litigator always maintained the perfect poker face.  
  
Jeffrey, Jr. wasn't in the courtroom, but nonetheless, he had used his poker face on these reporters. Sure, they could come back, but he had doubts that they would. The lawyer was certain that he had called their bluff and had won. And he was right. The vultures had left, their wings unceremoniously clipped. They didn't return.  
  
But even with the reporters gone, the drama was far from over. Jennifer and Gary were blissfully happy as Jennifer cradled their newborn son in her arms. Gary alternated between showering his wife and their child with kisses and loving gazes. Then, without warning, Garrett had momentarily stopped breathing. The moments that followed were like a frightening contradiction- time stalled and yet it also blurred at a dizzying pace- as the doctor and nurses blew into Jennifer's hospital room like a whirlwind. The Hobsons could only watch helplessly as medical terminology was bandied about and hospital personnel hurried in and out of the room bringing with them machines that were used on the baby's body in an effort to save his life. In actuality, it was only a few moments but to the terrified parents, it was a lifetime, before the doctor announced that Garrett had resumed normal breathing. No further explanation as to why Garrett had stopped breathing was forthcoming. And while the new parents were assured that their son appeared to be out of danger, the baby was quickly ushered from the room by the nurses.  
  
An hour later, Jennifer had fallen asleep, having surrendered to the emotional and physical stress of her accident, the Cesarean, and the most recent crisis surrounding Garrett. Gary was equally exhausted, but after checking on Garrett (the baby was now doing well and sleeping in the nursery), he refused to leave his wife's bedside. Holding her hand, he watched her as she slept. So focused on her was he that Gary didn't hear the light footsteps that had entered the room and he barely felt the tap on his shoulder. Turning around, his exhausted mud green eyes met the concerned eyes of his mother.  
  
"You need to go home and get some rest, son." Lois said gently.  
  
"No. I can't, Mom. I won't leave her." He replied adamantly.  
  
Lois knew that Gary had always been very stubborn, but she also saw something else in his eyes and heard something else in his voice at that moment. He was afraid to leave. The last time he left his wife, to answer The Paper's call, he later learned that Jennifer had taken a near fatal fall down the stairs and he had almost lost both her and their son.  
  
"Gary, Jennifer and Garrett are fine now. It's you that I'm worried about. Go home and get some rest. You won't be of any use to either one of them if you end up in the hospital suffering from exhaustion." Lois reasoned.  
  
"I'm not leaving."  
  
Lois said nothing. Instead, she left the room and returned with reinforcements a moment later- Jessica and Ginger. For the next few minutes, Gary endured a lecture from his mother-in-law complete with medical arguments as to why he needed to go home and get some rest. Ginger was far less subtle; her lecture sounded more like a threat to Gary. He *was* going home to get some rest even if she had to take him there herself and she was sure that he didn't want her to have to do that. Her words were delivered with more force than either Lois' or Jessica's. If Gary didn't know it before, he knew now what Jeff had told him many times- there was no winning an argument against Ginger Szabo! Defeated, Gary left the hospital.  
  
The next hours passed by impatiently and before long, night had blanketed the Chicago sky in ebony. The brilliantly shining moon shared the heavens with a sorority of twinkling stars.  
  
The maternity ward nursery had fallen under a surprising calm as the scores of babies slept peacefully in their bassinets. The man's footsteps were deliberate as he walked towards the nursery. Arriving at his destination, he stopped; mud green peered into the glass at the sea of sleeping angels, a swirl of pink and blue caps and blankets covering their little bodies. But his eyes quickly scanned the area for the bassinet with the name "Garrett Jeffrey Hobson". He smiled as soon as he found the object of his affection. He was so mesmerized by the baby that had already captured his heart that he didn't hear the nurse who approached him from behind.  
  
"Excuse me, sir. Visiting time is over. I really have to ask you to leave."  
  
He turned around. "Please. Please not yet. I know that it's late, but I wanted...I didn't...I didn't get a chance to hold him. May I? Just for a few minutes? Please."  
  
His heartfelt plea along with those gorgeous soft eyes had touched her. If the eyes were the windows to the soul, she had just read his. She couldn't deny his request.  
  
"Mr..?"  
  
"Metcalf. Jeff Metcalf."  
  
"I really shouldn't be doing this, but...but just for a few minutes. Follow me."  
  
"Thank you." He whispered.  
  
The young nurse led him into the nursery, handed him a sterile gown, and directed him to a chair in a far corner. He watched as she approached Garrett's bassinet and gently lifted the baby. She proceeded to where Jeff was seated. After instructing him how to hold Garrett, she handed the infant to him before disappearing from the room.  
  
He had lived through a World War. He had witnessed changes in technology. He had survived time travel. He had held his own children and granddaughter, but no moment had ever affected him as deeply as this one. A small and joyous tear escaped down his cheek. Caressing Garrett's cheek, Jeff spoke softly to the sleeping baby, the words pouring directly from his heart: "Hey there, Slugger. You know, you gave us all quite a scare." Jeff paused briefly before continuing. " You know, you're the most beautiful baby that I've ever seen and I've seen some beautiful babies in my lifetime. Your mother was a beautiful baby, but even she couldn't hold a candle to you. Just don't tell her that I said that, okay? You and me...we're going to do so many fun things together. People will tell you that I'm old and that I wouldn't be able to play with you, but we'll show them, huh? I'm going to teach you how to play baseball. You're going to love baseball. It's a swell sport. The national past time. And when you grow up, you're going to be a right fielder just like me. Perhaps you'll even join the Indians. Or, maybe you'll join the Cubs. The way they play, they need all the help that they can get. They'll need a Metcalf on their team to help them to finally end their losing streak. I know...you're a Hobson, too, but you're part Metcalf and the sporting gene, that's Metcalf. I bet you inherited that from us. You know something else? Your middle name is Jeffrey. That's my name and your grandfather's name, too. Let me let you in on a little secret about your grandfather. He's a swell guy even when he tries to pretend that he's not. And a lot of times, he's going to tell you things and you won't have any idea what he's talking about. That's okay. He's my son, but most of the time, I have no idea what he's talking about either. But I love him very much and I know that you will, too. He's going to try to tell you that it's swell being a lawyer and he'll try to convince you to become one just like him, but we won't let him, okay? Law is a screw...ah...you wouldn't like law. It's not fun like baseball.  
  
You're such a lucky kid. Do you know why? Because you have the best parents in the world and they love you very much. Your mom is going to try to act tough with you sometimes, mothers do that, but you'll be able to get around that. My mom used to act tough, but I could always get her to melt. She'd say that I was too clever for my own good and that it was going to catch up to me one of these days. Maybe Mom let me get away with some things because she loved me so much. I still miss her, you know. You would have loved her, too. But I bet that she's looking down from heaven right now at you and she's very happy.  
  
You're daddy is very special. You see, God selected him for a very special task and your daddy helps people. He's not a fireman or policeman, but he helps people who need help everyday. Sometimes, the people that he helps aren't very nice to him. Sometimes they laugh at him and they hurt him, but he still helps him. I know that you don't understand any of this, but I want you to promise me Garrett that you'll always be patient with your daddy. He may not be able to spend as much time with you as he wants because he's helping people, but he loves you more than anything. Always remember that.  
  
I love you, Garrett."  
  
Jeff had been raised on faith and had been taught about miracles, but as he held his great-grandson in his arms, he realized that he and the family had been given the greatest miracle, a gift straight from heaven. 


End file.
